{"id":11391,"date":"2024-07-25T12:49:53","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T19:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=11391"},"modified":"2024-07-25T12:49:53","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T19:49:53","slug":"harper-unhappy-with-umpires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2024\/07\/25\/harper-unhappy-with-umpires\/","title":{"rendered":"Harper Unhappy with Umpires"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raise your hand if you\u2019ve ever heard this one before. Philadelphia Phillies<\/a> star Bryce Harper<\/a> is unhappy with the umpires.<\/p>\n

Bryce Harper Being Unhappy with the Umpires is Nothing New<\/h3>\n

Harper didn\u2019t hold anything back after the Phillies\u2019 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins<\/a> on Wednesday. This is the third straight series loss for the top team in baseball dating back to before the All-Star break.<\/p>\n

The 31-year-old was visibly upset after he struck out looking in the top of the fifth inning against Twins\u2019 pitcher David Festa<\/a>. Harper told reporters<\/a> in the locker room after the game that the umpires \u201cdon\u2019t know how to call balls and strikes.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is a continuous trend with the Phillies\u2019 first baseman. Harper is often seen having discussions with and even arguing with home plate umpires after questionable calls. He\u2019s been doing this his whole career. In fact, Harper has been ejected from a game over 20 times<\/a> in his 13-year career. The most recent one came this past May against the Colorado Rockies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How to Fix the Umpire Problem in Major League Baseball<\/h3>\n

Harper isn\u2019t the first person to publicly blast MLB umpires, and he certainly won\u2019t be the last. Umpires, like players, are human and aren\u2019t perfect. As long as they remain a part of the game, players and coaches will continue to express their emotions toward them.<\/p>\n

Major League Baseball is experimenting with ways to be more efficient when it comes to balls and strikes. There\u2019s an automated system being utilized in the minor leagues that\u2019s been in testing since 2019. However, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred cited technical issues<\/a> when deciding whether or not the system will be used in the major leagues as early as the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

Until Manfred and MLB find a way to implement a functional and bug-free automated strike zone system, Harper and the rest of MLB will likely continue to work with human umpires behind the plate for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>